Pristine day heralds winter solstice and longest night of the year
It boasted a pristine sky, fair surfing conditions and clean sets off the Cowrie Hole. Awash in a warm and sunny 19 degrees, and just off the back of the Newcastle Ocean Baths, a bulky Australian fur seal luxuriated in the serenity as the surfers gave it a respectful berth.
The fur seal - which, along with their long-nose cousins, frequent the Hunter - is a somewhat regular visitor to the ocean baths.
Lifeguards on Friday morning, speaking of the big pup like an old friend, said it drops by usually around this time of year to check in.
Its whiskers just crested the water line as is bobbed between the swell. Time seemed to slow down as residents and shutterbugs mingled to take it in.
"This is a process called thermo-regulating," a spokesperson for Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia told the Newcastle Herald in 2023, when another seal was spotted off the Nobbys breakwall similarly waving a flipper as it floated. "When they get too hot, it helps them cool down."
Friday's sunshine was expected to gradually give way to cloudier conditions, with a chance of showers toward the middle of next week.
Surf conditions are expected to remain fair through Sunday, with a swell just above two feet, at waist height. Southern swell spots were making the best of the conditions, surf forecasters said, with chest-high waves for the short boards, or the sheltered zones optimal for the longboards on the incoming tide.
The southern hemisphere's winter solstice is on Saturday, June 21.
It marks Australia's shortest day and longest night of the year based on sunlight hours. But the good news is that from then on Aussies will get an incremental increase in the amount of visible sunlight each day.
There were - to use the journalist's favourite literary device - 'sealier' places to be than soaking up the sun just off Newcastle Ocean Baths on a near-perfect winter's day on Friday.
It boasted a pristine sky, fair surfing conditions and clean sets off the Cowrie Hole. Awash in a warm and sunny 19 degrees, and just off the back of the Newcastle Ocean Baths, a bulky Australian fur seal luxuriated in the serenity as the surfers gave it a respectful berth.
The fur seal - which, along with their long-nose cousins, frequent the Hunter - is a somewhat regular visitor to the ocean baths.
Lifeguards on Friday morning, speaking of the big pup like an old friend, said it drops by usually around this time of year to check in.
Its whiskers just crested the water line as is bobbed between the swell. Time seemed to slow down as residents and shutterbugs mingled to take it in.
"This is a process called thermo-regulating," a spokesperson for Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia told the Newcastle Herald in 2023, when another seal was spotted off the Nobbys breakwall similarly waving a flipper as it floated. "When they get too hot, it helps them cool down."
Friday's sunshine was expected to gradually give way to cloudier conditions, with a chance of showers toward the middle of next week.
Surf conditions are expected to remain fair through Sunday, with a swell just above two feet, at waist height. Southern swell spots were making the best of the conditions, surf forecasters said, with chest-high waves for the short boards, or the sheltered zones optimal for the longboards on the incoming tide.
The southern hemisphere's winter solstice is on Saturday, June 21.
It marks Australia's shortest day and longest night of the year based on sunlight hours. But the good news is that from then on Aussies will get an incremental increase in the amount of visible sunlight each day.
There were - to use the journalist's favourite literary device - 'sealier' places to be than soaking up the sun just off Newcastle Ocean Baths on a near-perfect winter's day on Friday.
It boasted a pristine sky, fair surfing conditions and clean sets off the Cowrie Hole. Awash in a warm and sunny 19 degrees, and just off the back of the Newcastle Ocean Baths, a bulky Australian fur seal luxuriated in the serenity as the surfers gave it a respectful berth.
The fur seal - which, along with their long-nose cousins, frequent the Hunter - is a somewhat regular visitor to the ocean baths.
Lifeguards on Friday morning, speaking of the big pup like an old friend, said it drops by usually around this time of year to check in.
Its whiskers just crested the water line as is bobbed between the swell. Time seemed to slow down as residents and shutterbugs mingled to take it in.
"This is a process called thermo-regulating," a spokesperson for Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia told the Newcastle Herald in 2023, when another seal was spotted off the Nobbys breakwall similarly waving a flipper as it floated. "When they get too hot, it helps them cool down."
Friday's sunshine was expected to gradually give way to cloudier conditions, with a chance of showers toward the middle of next week.
Surf conditions are expected to remain fair through Sunday, with a swell just above two feet, at waist height. Southern swell spots were making the best of the conditions, surf forecasters said, with chest-high waves for the short boards, or the sheltered zones optimal for the longboards on the incoming tide.
The southern hemisphere's winter solstice is on Saturday, June 21.
It marks Australia's shortest day and longest night of the year based on sunlight hours. But the good news is that from then on Aussies will get an incremental increase in the amount of visible sunlight each day.
There were - to use the journalist's favourite literary device - 'sealier' places to be than soaking up the sun just off Newcastle Ocean Baths on a near-perfect winter's day on Friday.
It boasted a pristine sky, fair surfing conditions and clean sets off the Cowrie Hole. Awash in a warm and sunny 19 degrees, and just off the back of the Newcastle Ocean Baths, a bulky Australian fur seal luxuriated in the serenity as the surfers gave it a respectful berth.
The fur seal - which, along with their long-nose cousins, frequent the Hunter - is a somewhat regular visitor to the ocean baths.
Lifeguards on Friday morning, speaking of the big pup like an old friend, said it drops by usually around this time of year to check in.
Its whiskers just crested the water line as is bobbed between the swell. Time seemed to slow down as residents and shutterbugs mingled to take it in.
"This is a process called thermo-regulating," a spokesperson for Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia told the Newcastle Herald in 2023, when another seal was spotted off the Nobbys breakwall similarly waving a flipper as it floated. "When they get too hot, it helps them cool down."
Friday's sunshine was expected to gradually give way to cloudier conditions, with a chance of showers toward the middle of next week.
Surf conditions are expected to remain fair through Sunday, with a swell just above two feet, at waist height. Southern swell spots were making the best of the conditions, surf forecasters said, with chest-high waves for the short boards, or the sheltered zones optimal for the longboards on the incoming tide.
The southern hemisphere's winter solstice is on Saturday, June 21.
It marks Australia's shortest day and longest night of the year based on sunlight hours. But the good news is that from then on Aussies will get an incremental increase in the amount of visible sunlight each day.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
7NEWS
4 hours ago
- 7NEWS
Thousands rattled as 6.7 magnitude earthquake off Top End rocks Darwin
Northern Territory residents have been rocked by a strong offshore earthquake which has left the Top End rattled. Geoscience Australia recorded the 6.7 magnitude earthquake off the Tanimbar Islands Region in Indonesia, which hit at a depth of 37km undersea at about 3.20pm local time on Monday. Over 1300 people made official reports of feeling the quake in Darwin, with more reporting the shocks as far south as Katherine and as far west as Kununurra in Western Australia. The Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre, operated by the Bureau of Meteorology and Geoscience Australia, said there was no tsunami threat to the Australian mainland or islands. 'Buildings shook for a good minute or two,' one person shared on Facebook. Another said they felt it in a building on the Darwin waterfront 'five stories up'. 'I'm down in Katherine for work and felt that here too, was pretty strong,' said another. There were also reports of items 'toppling' off shelves in a Darwin stores. Despite the strong earthquake, local Indonesian media said there were no immediate reports of injuries or structural damage closer to the epicentre. Stream free on
Perth Now
3 days ago
- Perth Now
Angry Cameron Smith co-leads Liv Golf in Andalucia
Frustrated, angry and tired, Cameron Smith negotiated the tough conditions in San Roque to lead with four others as first-round play had to be suspended in LIV Golf Andalucia due to high winds. The Australian and England's Lee Westwood were at one-under before play was called. Smith was through 16 holes before play was halted, with Westwood through 15. Also tied for first were Talor Gooch (through 10 holes), Joaquin Niemann of Chile (16 holes) and Branden Grace of South Africa (16 holes). "It was windy the whole day really and got up the last probably couple of hours," Smith said of gusts that reached 33 mph. "Yeah, just kind of had to deal with it and get on with it. It was very tricky out there." First-round play is set to resume at 8am local time Saturday with the second round immediately to follow. Smith was at four under through 14 holes before he started to struggle with the wind, collecting a double-bogey five at the par-3 15th hole and a bogey at the par-4 16th. "It was definitely getting to a stage with three or four holes to go that everyone was pretty tired out there and angry to be honest," Smith said. "It was a very frustrating day. ... You can play this golf course with no wind and it's brutal. When you get 30-mph gusts, it's definitely not an easy place to get around." Westwood also was at four under through his first seven holes, but his hot start was disrupted by a double bogey at No.8, followed by a bogey at No.11. He made par on his final four holes before play was halted. Niemann, who has won four times already this season, had a birdie at No.4 before making 12 consecutive pars when play was stopped. Bryson DeChambeau finished his round at even par and was tied for second place with Spain's Jon Rahm, who was through 14 holes. A group of 10 sat another shot behind at one over, including Phil Mickelson and United States Ryder Cup hopeful Patrick Reed. DeChambeau had three birdies with three bogeys and was at one-under for the round before a bogey six at the 17th. Reed is coming off his first LIV victory on June 29 at LIV Golf Dallas at Carrollton, Texas, winning in a playoff over England's Paul Casey, Japan's Jinichiro Kozuma and South Africa's Louis Oosthuizen. Defending champion Sergio Garcia of Spain was in a logjam at two over through 14 holes along with Australian Matt Jones (five holes). Marc Leishman was at four over after five holes, while Lucas Herbert was two shots further back after five holes, too. Play was suspended at 5:07 pm local time and did not resume. This is the first European stop on the 2025 LIV Golf calendar.
Sky News AU
4 days ago
- Sky News AU
'Really healthy': Welcoming snow upwards of 30cm for Australian ski fields aligns in time for school holiday goers
Weekend conditions for Australian ski fields are forecast to be powdery and dry, bringing welcome news to families heading to the snow these school holidays. A dumping of dry and powdery snow has hit the Australian alps just in time for the weekend. Sky News Weather Presenter James Preston said alpine resorts received a good dusting leading into Friday. 'Just under 30cm, a good dusting for many of our alpine resorts,' Preston said. 'Throughout the day blizzard conditions, very strong conditions for those elevated terrains and of course the snow continuing to fall. 'A really healthy dumping in the past 24 to 48 hours. 'Now it does quiet down a fair bit into Friday though, you can see here very little on the cards.' Conditions across ski resorts have been the best in years, aligning perfectly for the school holidays. 'Super excited. Honestly, it's one of the best starts we have had in the last few years and it's only going to keep coming,' Hotham Marketing Coordinator Alex Pankiw said. In Victoria, Mt Hotham received 21cm on Thursday, Mt Buller recorded 17cm and Falls Creek had 22cm. In New South Wales, Perisher received 24cm of snowfall with temperatures dipping to -2.4C and Thredbo recorded 17cm. Preston said most snowfall on Friday will primarily be in Tasmania. 'Elevated regions up in Tassie looking quite nice, they will get a decent little dumping across Friday itself,' he said. 'No where near as much in Victoria and into NSW.' National forecast for Friday Sydney is looking at a sunny day with highs of 19C with 25 to 45km/h westerly winds floating about. Showers are lingering for the south-east of the country with Melbourne and Adelaide both sitting at 16C. Hobart can expect a cool 12C with a chance of light showers. Cloudy for Canberra with a cool 11C on the cards. A late cold front is forecast to converge through Perth with significant rainfall expected on Saturday. Western Australia's capital is forecast to hit 20C. Brisbane will be clear at 21C, and Darwin is forecast for a warm 31C.
